| Start of Studies: | Wintersemester (October 1st) |
| Contents: | Brand design, shape & composition, graphic design, photography, typography, corporate design, motion design, transmedia storytelling, packaging, audiovisual branding, elective focus modules, practical projects |
| Duration: | 6 semester (full-time) |
| Credit Points: | 180 ECTS |
| Apply until: | September 15th |
| Language: | German |
| Location: | Hamburg, Germany |
| Degree: | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) |
| Career prospects: | e.g. as Brand Strategist, Editorial Designer, Art Director, Packaging Designer, Corporate Designer, Creative Conceptionist, Animation Artist |
Communication Design
Brand Design – Bachelor of Arts
Design, illustration, film, photography – you are enthusiastic about everything that has to do with creativity and aesthetics? Do you want to give brands a face and create brand experiences for all the senses?
Get to know all the success factors of design and communication in the Communication Design focus of our Brand Design B.A. course.
For your career in the creative industries, you will receive from us …
- comprehensive creative training,
- the teaching of technical skills,
- strategic know-how about brands.
Communication Design at a glance
Impressions
Profile
Communication designers conceive, develop and realise the visual appearance of brands and companies, for example through advertising campaigns in print, film and digital media.
In the Communication Design focus of the Bachelor’s programme Brand Design you will develop the creative, technical and strategic know-how that creative people in the media and advertising industry need. This will not only enable you to meet current requirements, but also the challenges of tomorrow.
Develop your individual creative signature during your studies. Our professors and lecturers will work with you to develop the practical knowledge as designers as well as the personal skills that will be in demand in your future.
How does Brand University of Applied Sciences give you the decisive advantage for an exciting career in the creative industry? Expert knowledge on brand development and the latest findings from communication research complement the classic design training in graphic design.
Whether you are going to work in advertising agencies, large brand companies, film productions or as a freelance designer – our diverse practical projects prepare you optimally for the working world.
Test your knowledge and skills during your studies and make contacts!
Leading companies and agencies appreciate the cooperation with enthusiastic talents. Our project partners invite you to provide valuable input for real projects. At the same time, you will establish valuable contacts – the cornerstone of your professional network.
1st Semester
- Form & Composition
- Characters & Font
- Photography
- Brand Design Basics
- Brand Management Basics
2nd Semester
- Graphic design
- Digital Design
- Typography & Publishing
- Aesthetics & Perception
- Elective Module
3rd Semester
- Corporate Design
- Motion Design
- Generative Design
- Elective Module
4th Semester
- Transmedia Storytelling
- Audiovisual branding
- Packaging
- Elective Module
5th Semester
- Art Direction
- Design Thinking & Sustainability
- Interdisciplinary Practice Project
- Elective Module
6th Semester
- Practice Transfer Project
- Bachelor Thesis
- Colloquium
Elective Modules:
In the 2nd – 5th semester, electives are taken to develop the individual focus of study on communication design or digital design – the teaching languages are German and English.
- Digital Branding & Social Media (DE, EN)
- Illustration (DE)
- Brand Language (DE)
- Wearables and tangible media (DE, EN)
- Prototyping and User Testing (DE, EN)
- Brand Environments (DE)
- Multisensory branding (DE, EN)
- Creative Leadership (EN)
- Open Innovation & Digital Thinking (EN)
- Semiotics & Aesthetics (EN)
- Communication management (DE, EN)
- Media Science & Advertising Psychology (DE, EN)
- Market and Trend Research & Neuromarketing (DE, EN)
- Specialization in Photography (DE, EN)
- Advanced Editorial Design (DE, EN)
- Specialization in Generative Design and Creative Coding (DE, EN)
- Specialisation in Film and Motion Design (DE, EN)
- Free transfer projects (DE, EN)
- Business English (EN)
Status: October 2018
What is a… ?
After successfully completing the study focus communication design, many opportunities will open up to you as an expert in the creative industry. As the person responsible for the image and communication of brands, you will be able to realise complex projects as part of integrated marketing.
Learn more about the career opportunities a degree in Brand Design opens up for you.
Art Director
Art directors develop ideas and concepts for advertising campaigns. Their focus is on the visual implementation of a campaign. They usually design advertising for all media, i.e. print, TV and online. Their tasks include working with a team of graphic designers and often, for example, supervising photo shoots and filming. The most popular employers for art directors are advertising agencies. But publishing houses hire them for work on magazines and journals too.
What skills does an art director need?
A feeling for aesthetics, customer orientation, creativity, conceptual thinking, graphic skills
Corporate Designer
Corporate designers ensure that companies have a consistent visual image. Their task is to create the visual recognition of a company or a brand. To achieve this, they design everything that has to do with the company or brand image – from the logo to the stationery, they think everything through in detail. For a coherent image, corporate designers develop colour concepts, design guidelines and specifications for the visual language. In this way, they create a harmonious, cross-media appearance both online and offline.
What skills does a corporate designer need?
A feeling for aesthetics, creativity, customer orientation, confident use of graphic tools, accuracy, knowledge of brand management
Packaging Designer
Packaging designers ensure that products receive the ideal packaging. In their job, they combine form and design and try to arrange space optimally and efficiently. Packaging designers must therefore think practically and never lose sight of aesthetic requirements. In the development process they often work with 3D technology and decide on the choice of materials. They work closely with marketing and production departments.
What skills does a packaging designer need?
A feeling for aesthetics, creativity, conceptual thinking, graphic tool skills, knowledge of brand management, customer orientation
Brand Strategist
Brand strategists ensure that a brand strategy is anchored in the company and that it is carried to the outside world for a consistent appearance. They make sure that every point of contact where a customer encounters the brand’s product or service corresponds to the brand strategy. To achieve this, they define success criteria and often mediate in companies between the marketing, sales, development and controlling departments. Their goal is to increase the recognition value of brands.
What skills does a brand strategist need?
Organizational skills, business management understanding, strategic and analytical thinking, a feel for trends
UX Designer
UX stands for User Experience, the user experience of digital applications. These can be apps, websites or online shops, for example. UX designers take care of the smooth flow between functions, their goal is optimal usability. Their task refers more to the concept and logic of a user interface than to the visual design. This makes UX designers the intermediary between users and developers. In order to know what users want, UX designers usually also carry out market research.
What skills does a UX Designer need?
Analytical and systematic thinking, empathy, creativity, an eye for detail, basic knowledge in web development
This is also what UX designers are called:
Interaction Designer
UI Designer
UI stands for User Interface, which describes the user interface of digital applications such as apps, websites and online shops. UI designers ensure optimal interaction between users and applications. In contrast to UX designers, they work on the visual design. This includes, for example, the definition and implementation of design guidelines for a successful, harmonious overall image for the digital corporate identity.
What skills does a UI designer need?
Creativity, analytical and strategic thinking, graphic tool skills, basic technical understanding
This is also what UI designers are called:
Interface Designer, Screen Designer
Digital Strategist
Digital strategists develop innovative strategies for brands and companies. Their task is to detect trends among customers, so that new technologies are taken up by companies in marketing. This enables them to strengthen the connection to their customers. Should my company have a TikTok account? This question is asked by a digital strategist, for example.
What skills does a Digital Strategist need?
Analytical and strategic thinking, interest in technologies and innovation, customer orientation
This is also what Digital Strategists are called:
Digital Marketing Strategist, Innovation Strategist, UX Strategist, Service Designer
Motion Designer
Motion designers are responsible for the animation of film sequences. For example, they create advertising clips, social media videos, explanatory films or games. Their job also includes the animation of individual interactive elements. This way, they bring logos and icons to life.
What skills does a motion designer need?
Creativity, graphic and video tool skills, film editing, sound design, conceptual thinking
This is also what motion designers are called:
Multimedia Designer, Animation Designer
Creative Technologist
Creative Technologists are creative people with a great enthusiasm for new technologies. Their task is to implement unusual ideas using innovative technologies. Creative Technologists often work as programmers and are active in a field of research in which a lot of experimentation takes place. From the initial idea to the prototype, they work closely with designers and are responsible for the technical knowledge.
What skills does a Creative Technologist need?
Creativity, understanding of technology, interest in innovation, programming skills, conceptual thinking
This is also what Creative Technologists are called:
Creative Coder, Creative Developer
Course fees
As a leading state-recognised, privately owned university, Brand University of Applied Sciences is financed exclusively through course fees.
Course fees for students from Germany and the EU from October 2019:
685,- Euro per month,
890,- Euro one-off matriculation fee,
200,- Euro one-off examination fee.
Total costs: 25.750,- Euro
Course fees for students from countries outside the EU:
890,- Euro per month,
2.300,- Euro one-off matriculation fee,
200,- Euro one-off examination fee.
Total costs: 34.540,- Euro
Exceptions may be made for students who already have long-term residence permits for the EU.
Financing
We hope to enable every suitable candidate to study at Brand University of Applied Sciences, regardless of their financial situation.
For this reason we sponsor certain ‘Brand Talents’ with a scholarship from Semester 5 onwards. You can also obtain finance under the Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (‘BAföG’ or German Federal Educational Assistance Act).
If you want to know anything about financing you should contact the Student Financing Advice Centre.
Students at Brand University of Applied Sciences can also obtain financial support from foundations and financial institutions in Hamburg and further afield. At a national level there is the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) which offers the ‘KfW-Studienkredit’.
Brand Talents ONE
We encourage talent for the future. Right from the start.
Talent shows itself through personal abilities and not through good grades or a good financial background. For this reason, we award partial scholarships in the field of brand design to outstanding applicants – passionate, creative personalities who are involved in an interdisciplinary and intercultural student body, who want to exchange ideas and grow beyond themselves! The scholarships are awarded for the start of studies in October and paid out over the entire course of studies.
The conditions
Qualification to enter a university (Abitur, Fachabitur or secondary school with 3 years of professional experience).
A special talent for design, proven by a creative design portfolio – without media restrictions, i.e. analog and/or digital drawings, films, photographs or painting are possible. In terms of content, at least one of the designs in the scholarship application should be related to a trademark (real or fictitious).
The application
The procedure corresponds to the regular application process at Brand University of Applied Sciences, see application form.
To apply for a scholarship, your letter of motivation must contain a special focus on your personal suitability for the scholarship. Letters of recommendation from a teacher, professor of your previous studies, employer or mentor are also welcome.
The application deadline for the Brand Talents ONE scholarships ends on August 15, and the winners will be announced on 1st September.
If you have any questions, please contact our student advisor Anna Prokhorenko, Fon +49 40 38089356-23 Mail anna.prokhorenko@brand-acad.de
The Jury
The applications of all interested parties will be evaluated by an independent jury. The jury consists of nationally and internationally renowned designers who are not members of Brand University of Applied Sciences.
The following documents must be submitted for admission:
- Completed application form
- Qualification to enter a university (Abitur or Fachabitur).
With appropriate previous experience, applicants can also be admitted to studies in individual cases without a (Fach-)Abitur. - Curriculum vitae and certificates
- Motivation letter
- Portfolio
You will find more information about the application documents and formal requirements on the application form.
In case your application documents are not complete due to the current situation, it is possible to hand in later the missing documents.
If they assess your application documents positively, our applicant manager Anna Prokhorenko and our course director Prof. Ansgar Eidens will look forward to getting to know you in a personal interview and finding out more about your own particular career so far, your specific aptitudes, and your personal aims which you wish to pursue in connection with the course.
If your application interview is successful you will be admitted to study.
Application Deadlines
Applicants who do NOT require an entry visa for Germany:
- September 15th
Applicants who require an entry visa for Germany:
- June 30th
Application Deadline for the Winter semester: September 15, 2020
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Do you have any questions about the programme? Contact us now.
Anna Prokhorenko
Student Advisory Service
Fon +49 40 38089356-23
WhatsApp +49 160 – 5566783 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on wekdays)
Mail anna.prokhorenko@brand-university.de